Cam Newton said 2011 Panthers had a 'locker room of losers,' and Steve Smith responded

Alex Zietlow, The Charlotte Observer on Feb 11, 2025

Published in Football

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two of the best players in Carolina Panthers history are ... well... at odds with one another right now.

And Steve Smith has made it clear that he’s “done” with his former quarterback.

The short story:

Cam Newton, the best quarterback in team history, said something controversial about his time with the Carolina Panthers — specifically that he was drafted as the No. 1 pick in 2011 and thus walked into “a locker room of losers.”

Steve Smith, the best receiver in team history who was part of that aforementioned locker room, replied to Newton’s words without masking his contempt.

“53-man locker room - 1 = 52 losers,” Smith posted on X on Monday. “Wow ... breaking news to 89!”

It all started in an interview Friday in New Orleans along the Super Bowl’s famed “radio row.” On that day, Newton, who’s quickly growing his brand as a media personality, joined The Travis Hunter Show. Hunter was the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner who will go early in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft — and could potentially even be the top pick.

That’s when Newton shared his own experience as a former No. 1 overall pick, which led to the back-and-forth.

Here’s how the exchange went:

“How did you handle the pressure of being the top pick?” Hunter asked.

Newton: “Let’s put it in perspective: You’re the top pick because of what?”

Hunter: “The way you play.”

Newton: “No no no. You’re looking at it from a personal situation. I’m talking about it from the professional situation. You’re the top pick because that was the worst team in the NFL the year before. For me, I wanted to be the No. 1 pick. You could potentially be the first pick, but bro, you have no way of impacting the game like a quarterback does. You can lock down the No. 1 receiver, you can make impact plays on offense all you want. But it’s still not like a quarterback.

“My issue is, when I was the first pick, I went into a locker room of losers. Guys didn’t know how to win. Guys didn’t know how to prepare. It was a culture shock for me. The games don’t mean a lot to a lot of people in the league like you’d expect. It’s just about money. Not everybody has capabilities to be impact players. They’re just players.”

Newton goes on from there. But that clip is what caught Smith’s attention. Smith, a finalist for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025, then reposted the clip with the text, “Breaking news to 89!” before sending out another statement on his social media.

“I’ve watched and listened from afar as you (Cam Newton) talk about the Panthers!” Smith wrote. “None of us are perfect. Yes, we were 2-14 before you blessed us with your presence. The way you have talked about the Panthers lately, I’m very disappointed. I wish you nothing but the very best. I’m done!”

Others on the team caught wind of Newton’s comments and didn’t take too well to it. Among them was Geoff Schwartz, a Carolina Panthers draft pick who played for the team from 2008 to 2011.

“Sure, we went 2-14, but the core of that roster also went 12-4 two years beforehand,” Schwartz wrote. “Maybe it’s a tad more nuanced than a ‘bunch of losers who can’t prepare.’”

Among the others on that 2011 roster included Jonathan Stewart, DeAngelo Williams, Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey, Jordan Gross, Ryan Kalil, Chris Gamble, JJ Jansen and Captain Munnerlyn. Stewart and Williams still make up the best one-two punch in the backfield in Panthers history, and Olsen, Gross and Kalil each finished their careers with three or more Pro Bowl appearances.

Smith and Newton reportedly had their differences as players but have made public their mutual respect in recent years — especially as their media careers have taken off in similar ways.

Newton, specifically, isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers with the mic, doing so several times on his platform, "4th and 1." His most recent moment: He expressed this past season his disappointment in the fact that the Panthers didn’t invite him to Germany — opening up questions of the Panthers’ relationship with one of the most beloved players in franchise history.

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